The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-21
WAR AGAINST PowDERLY.

porters Greatly Alarmed.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 20.-The great tidal
wave of opposition to Mr.. Powderly and the gen.
eral officers of the knights of Labor, which has
been sweeping the country rresistby for
the past two weeks in the election of delegates
to the Minneapolis convention, has brought con-
srernation and terror into every stronghold Of
the reiguing administration, and nowhere so
much as into the general headquarters in this
city. The wave has not been restricted in its
progress to any particular belts sections, but
in the country 1t is general and overwhelming.
| Nothing like it has ever been known before
within the order. and the result is dismay and
confusion to Mr.. Powderly and his colleagues
Heretofore they had entertained the belief that
| the dsaffecton in the order was only sporadic
and consequently Insignificant. and hence their
! surprise now at seeing every big and influential
| district assembly in the country elect anti
administration delegates to Minneapolis can well
be imagined They are arprehensve. it is said,
that their is about finished. and accord
| ingly they straining every nerve to ward off
| the impending calamity. Everywhere a square
| issue is being Joined at the district assembly
elections between the adherents and the oppo-
nents of the a6 ministration, and the result, at
least in the large cities, has thus far been almost
uniformly disastrous to the administration.
The most significant feature of this popular up
rising is that several of the general officers them
selves, formerly delegates to the general assem-
bly,, have either been defeated outright or, an
ticipating defeat, have prudently withdrawn
their names as candidates for election as dele
gates. General Treasurer Frederick Turner
who is regarded as fairly popular outside, has
been ANONYMOUSLY downed by d. A. l., in this
city, as likewise James A. Wright. an aspirant
for position on the general board. John W.
Hayes. of New Brunswick, N j., and Ira B.
Aylesworth, of Baltimore, we'll William II.
Bailey of Shawnee, O., all members of the gen
eral board. fearing a like disaster, have re-
Trained from running candidates in their re-
spectve districts T. B. Mcclure and his fol-
lowers in the Home Club and D. A. 40 of New
York, dreadiug complete rout, have managed
to postpone the election in their district to the
latest possible moment; but the elections there
we'll as in all other districts, must be held
before the 18th instant and the music must be
faced All these officers who have been deprived
of their seats in the General Assembly may still
enter that body in the capacity of ex-deleg ates
and speak on the floor of the convention as such,
but they can not vote. and their standing
otherwise is necessarily lowered.
In this city D. A. i, the old reliable mixed
district, in which the general board place great
delegates and administration man. while
Shoemakers' D. A. 20, Leather-workers' D. A. |
"a. Carpet workers D. A. 126 and Textilework-
ers D. A. 100, also of this city, have all chosen |
solid delegations composed of anti-adminis- |
trationists Leather workers D. A. ST. of New
ark, N. j., will shortly elect similar delegation.
and Car drivers D. A. rs, of New York and |
Broo klyn, has already selected strong antiad- |
ministration contingent It is confidently ex- |
pected that D. A. 40, Of New York, will also
send to Minneapolis solid phalanx hostile to
the reigning powers. Out Of the ten delegates
selected by D. A. 80, Of Massachusetts, five will
favor and five will oppose the present admins
tration. The recent elections in D. A. "a and
D. A. 81. of Chicago, and in other cities Of the
West, show the state Of feeling in that section
This great wave of opposition is attributed
chiefly to the overt acts and continued encroach-
ments on the libert les of the order by the
general officers since the last General AS
sembly, which met at Richmond, and especially
to their hostile attitude toward trades unions
and such crafts demand permission to form
national trade assemblies This hostility on
the part of the general officers to the forma-
ton of national trads assemblies was animated
by their determination to retain their control Of
the order, which could not be done il the various
trades were allowed to manage their own affairs
In separate districts by themselves. But unfor-
tunatey the very policy which the general Of
fcers have pursued to retain their power has
operated UNNECESSARILY toward bringing about
those conditions which they tried to prevent
for their opposition to the trade union idea has |
a counter opposition toward them |
selves on the part of the trades assembly
advocates which may unseat them alto
will be fought out to the finish at the Mime ,
'pols convention. That the present general
officers, or at least considerable number of
hem, will be overthrow at that session, seems ,
o be unavoidable, judging from present indica- :
ions 1t may transpire that Messrs Hayes, /
Turner, Bailey Avlesworth and Nc
iuire alone NAV he Inada 70 suffar ,ha hru,to ~ !
he attack and that Mr.. Powderly, together ,
With Messrs. Carlton and Barry will be retained !
n their positions; but it is well known that Mr. :
'owdery ardently supports and will in future )
upporr both Hayes and Litchman, and this fact !
nay initiate to his overthrow All the =
general officers have been elected for term Of :
wo years, and they can only be deposed at Min !;
leapolis on the ground that the proceedings of =
he Richmond convention at which their election =
vas accomplished, were unconstitutional. At 9
ii events, there is doubt that either q ;,
lete and radical transfer alton will be wrought n
. the autonomy of the organization that tina r
nights will suffer complete extinction. !.
The leading spirits of the opposition party e
hen of prominence and acknowledged ability in :
he labor movement, and include such workers i,
8 George E. Mcneil. of Boston; John Morrison. a.
New York; William H. Barrett, of this city; I,
William c. Mullen. of Richmond. and James r.
'uchanan, of Chicago. They all in close
with one another and with their
Importers will act unbroken unit in =
ucting the amDaign for the publication Of the a
rder at Minneapolis next October. =,
That Mr.. Powderly and his general executive y
oard are keeny alive the danger of their sit y
alton is apparent from the uneasness that pre- ::
ais among the attaches at the headquarters -
ere at S14 North Broad street, and from Mr.. ~
owderlys manifest endeavor to conciliate the "
lost powerful enemies of the administration. ~ :,
% will make strong attempt to protect him. :.
'lf at the expense of his colleagues il necessary 20
dlsavowing all participation in those acts =
hich have brought the general board into dis a. a.
'pute. Mr.. Powderly already complains at the -
Justice of his being held responsible for the ~
olicy of the present board of which he is u
lairman, and also for the miscellaneous utter al
aces of the Journal of United Labor, the Of ~ y.
cial organ of the order He has compelled y
en- Socr itchxr it, a6ifo 10